Catacombs of Paris

About

The catacombs of Paris, a term used to name the municipal ossuary, are originally part of the former underground quarries located in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, connected by inspection galleries. They were transformed into a municipal ossuary at the end of the 18th century with the transfer of the remains of about six million individuals, evacuated from the various Parisian cemeteries until 1861 for reasons of public health. They then take the abusive name of "catacombs", by analogy with the underground necropolises of ancient Rome, although they never officially served as a burial place.

About 1.7 km long visitable, located 20 metres below the surface, they are officially visited by about 500,000 visitors per year (2015 figures) from Denfert-Rochereau Square and constitute a museum of the city of Paris. This part, open to the public, represents only a tiny fraction (about 0.5%) of the vast underground quarries of Paris, which extend under several boroughs of the capital. There are also other underground ossuary in Paris, inaccessible to the public.